Pizza Club were you one of the douchebags on the rail who stood like a post even for silverfuck? Maybe go to a show to enjoy it and not to think about how you're going to report back to netphoria.

It was a great show.

Eulogy, are you one of those douchebags that tells other people how to enjoy concerts? Why is it does it matter to you? I'm not 21 anymore. And I worked all day. And stood waiting for four hours. So not that you deserve a response to fucking stupid post, but I got into it plenty, in my own fucking way, whatever it was because I'm an adult and paid my own fucking money to do whatever the fuck I want.

Eulogy, are you one of those douchebags that tells other people how to enjoy concerts? Why is it does it matter to you? I'm not 21 anymore. And I worked all day. And stood waiting for four hours. So not that you deserve a response to fucking stupid post, but I got into it plenty, in my own fucking way, whatever it was because I'm an adult and paid my own fucking money to do whatever the fuck I want.

Yeah standing still and taking instagram videos the whole fucking time takes energy out. And you waiting for hours for a show at a venue that holds 840 people is your own dumb mistake. Wahh.

Even at a small venue, I so very much prefer dead front row to two rows back. Seems like I'm constantly distracted by somebody else's phone, or halfway through all of a sudden some jackass comes flying up at full throttle and shoves me to get in front of me.

For me, those extra few hours standing outside for front row are always worth it.

The line was short so my girlfriend and I were front and center. It was annoying (to her in particular) that the doors open got pushed back a half hour, and the show was over an hour late. I get why they wanted more soundcheck time to rehearse, but starting the show so late was dumb. It's just a bit inconsiderate and didn't make sense, it's not like they were still practicing. But, anyways.... it was worth it....

Great show, great performance by Billy, new members were solid, and there was a very very different energy than the by-the-numbers performances during the Oceania era.

That was the first and foremost difference, and gave me a lot of hope for the future of SP beyond this album cycle. This felt like a totally different band than old SP (same as the last lineup) but for once Billy seems honestly to not care anymore, and to feel very present in his new band.

A lot of that has to do with the high level of respect he has towards Wilk and Stoermer, resulting in an easy chemistry and a playful ferocity that's far beyond what the Mike/Nicole lineup could pull off. It seems like first with the 07 lineup, then with the Oceania lineup, Billy became really hung up on the technical points of recreating the original music, and completely lost touch with the old spirit of live SP. The old band never cared much for flawless reproduction of the studio recording, was sloppy, playful, and vicious. Had a fierce heartbeat. Where was the heartbeat in the 09-13 era? I shouldn't complain because I did enjoy Oceania at the time, and I really really liked the 2011 shows with all the Pisces stuff, but now that it's different I see what was missing.

The dynamic between BC and Brad Wilk was much more similar to the BC/JC dynamic, a lot of mutual respect and musical collaboration. And playfulness!!! You know how BC would give that look to Mike like a scolding substitute teacher? None of that here.

That isn't to say that he's the ideal drummer for SP. While he held down the hard rocking parts with a solidity that Byrne certainly never had, it was clear that Wilk is not the most dynamic drummer. It felt like he struggled with the lighter, more subtle parts of songs. And he certainly did not attempt to play Jimmy's parts exactly (the way Mikey tried mightily, but never quite could). He reinterprets. Which is great in many ways, but also can be a bit distracting for those of us who know the songs really well. I'm not a drum expert but I certainly noticed a lack of snare rolls during songs like Hummer and Tonight Tonight, emphasis on the main beats but not a lot of flare.

The big thing was, Billy was more passionate and energized than I've seen him in a long time. I honestly think his solo experience at Ravinia reinvigorated his live persona a bit, and gave him a bit more confidence. And having something to prove always helps him out (aside maybe from 2009-10). He was particularly animated during "Drum + Fife", which he played with a ferocity of purpose that I haven't seen in him in a long, long time. "Fame" also had him at full on rock-star mode. Maybe he was energized to revisit Bowie by his visit to the (amazing) MCA exhibit?

I should also mention that Billy screamed the "CAAAAAGE" in BWBW with a lot of balls. Made me wish they'd played some catalog rockers like XYU, Fuck You, Bodies, etc.

As far as the setlist goes, the songs that benefited most from the heightened band energy and playfulness were the "Monuments" tracks, "Fame", and the goofball garage-rock version of "Silverfuck", which seemed to alternate between numerous semi-cliched beats and riffs, but was propelled by their enjoyment to be playing rock.

The Monuments tracks sounded great, in particular One and All and Tiberius. I will say the title track was kind of a letdown - I really dug the clip in the album preview, but the song played live was pretty repetitive, and the verses or what have you felt very strange and out of place. and the lyrics were dumb "lover, you're strange" or something...

It would have been nice to see more catalog tracks in there, especially ones that fit in with this more glam vibe. Cherub Rock, Quiet, Here is No Why, Mouths of Babes, Dross, and even some more recent stuff like Come on let's go, GLOW, or Glissandra would've been better than the umpteenth Tonight Tonight and BWBW. but that's just me talking. there's no denying that the big hits energize the crowd. itd just be nice if they got a little more daring since theyre playing these tiny venues to the die hard fans.

overall a great experience and a huge surge of new energy moving forwards. it'll be interesting to see if stoermer and wilk stick around for long, but either way, billy seems reenergized and i have to say that ditching mike and nicole feels like the right call.

Location: "You are the poster child for an uninformed brainwashed American" -OmegaConcern

Posts: 20,522

finally got to listen to this show straight through. It sounds great. the new songs, if not at the same quality level, do fit fairly well in the set list with the old. With only a few exceptions the TBK songs were horrible live when mixed between older hits. Especially when they were touring with backing tracks (for synth). Songs like Freak or Astral Planes played next to Disarm or Zero were jarring.

I also like that the stage dressing is minimal. No more orb or video boxes or spinning windmills.

i was at this show. very cold, very bitter about recent legal bullshit from BC, and very very jet-lagged from arriving no less than 6 hours prior, from the EU (~~~~it was great seeing you, Bram! Sorry I can't hold my strong belgian beer as well as i should have; i'm out of practice! don't judge! haha ~~~~)

here's some random thoughts about the show:

crowd sucked
testostero-pumpkins 5.0
more facial hair in the pumpkins than ever before
definitely a warm-up gig; mark was just staring at his frets and billy, to get all the timings right. bradf, jeff and BC were very much in-sync though.

also....tonight tonight and siyl both had a very earth pounding presence to them. not articulate and precise like Jimmy C -- but more pound, poound, cymbal crash, cymbal crash. I would lovef to see Brad play Starzzzzzz.

Hummer was OK, drown was OK.....the heavy DIsarm was nice. But up until that point SIYL was the best.

All the MtaE tracks sounded better live --- THANK GOD. Monuments and Drum n Fife were very cool.

Silverfuck was badass. I like the new cadence that BC sings the lyrics too. 'twas awesome.

Fame was cool too.

But overall, as I approach 60 shows of "SP proper" -- i give this show a B-. The whole thing couled have been a lot cooler for an 850 person intimate warm-up pop-uip show. namely, not make us wait in the fuckin cold for so long for no reason. BC could have been a little friendlier....and i dunno, just been a normal human about shit.

i know its probably my lawsuit bitterness, but fuck man, try to be a little more enagging with the crowd, Billy! what happened to you idealizing the Perry Ferrel esque front-man! I miss the shiny GLOW dress. even then, and playing shitty casinos just outside of chicago, you brought much more love, humanity and good energy.